Electronic product, a body and a method of manufacturing

ABSTRACT

The electronic product comprises a body with a three-dimensional shape that is derived from the product. The body is provided with a pattern of conductors including contact pads and at least one electric element, in which the conductors are mechanically anchored in the body. It is preferably provided with attachment means for any carrier or external component. The pattern of conductors is primarily provided at the surface of the body. Conductors can be hidden inside the body, by removing in that area a releasable layer attached to the conductors before instead of after the molding process.

The invention relates to an electronic product comprising a bodyprovided with a three dimensional shape that is derived from the productand incorporates structurally at least part of the product shape.

The invention also relates to a body suitable for use as a product partin a desired product and provided with a three dimensional shape that isderived from the product and incorporates structurally at least part ofthe product shape.

The invention further relates to a method of manufacturing a bodysuitable for use as a product part in a desired product and providedwith a threedimensional shape that is derived from the product andincorporates structurally at least part of the product shape, comprisingthe steps of:

providing a foil having a releasable layer and a pattern of conductortracks;

attaching electrical elements to the conductor tracks;

providing the body of electrically insulating material by a moldingtechnique, therewith encapsulating the electrical elements andmechanically anchoring the conductor tracks in the body; and

removing the releasable layer.

Contemporary products increasingly contain electronic components.Vehicles are full of electronic components that fulfill sensor functionsand allow the operation of task with only a push on a button. Clothesand other articles are provided with electronics that can be read outwirelessly. Consumer electronics products ranging from shavers andcoffee-machines to television sets, remote controls and mobile phonesare bodies that include more functionality than in the past and alsoneed to have a beautiful shape.

In order to fulfill the desire of the provision of electronics anywhere,the electronics can be attached to plastic parts, including housingsthat provide the shape of the desired products and appliances. There arevarious ways of attachment.

One of them is the use of a printed circuit board, to which theelectronic components are attached and electrically contacted. Theprinted circuit board is provided inside a housing, such that it is notvisible from the outside, or visible only to the extent that is desired.The disadvantage of the printed circuit board is however, that it takesconsiderable space and that it is in need of substantial assembly. Theneed for assembly can even limit the freedom of choosing the shape ofthe product.

Another way of attachment is the provision of the electronics on a labelat a surface by means of adhesive. This is particularly an optionwherein the label includes a transponder or wherein the body is aproduct part that will be surrounded by a housing. The use of adhesivehowever has the disadvantage that it is not always very robust.Moreover, electrical contacting of the components is not made easy,since it must be done either contactlessly or with a limited number ofcontacts.

In short, there is a need for such macroscopic bodies as housings andproducts parts in or to which any desired electronic components can beprovided in a mechanically stable manner without limiting the freedom ofdesign of the product shape.

It is therefore a first object of the invention to provide an electronicproduct of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph, in whichelectronics are integrated without limiting the freedom of the designerand without making the body or the product mechanically or chemicallyvulnerable.

This object is achieved in that the body comprises an electricallyinsulating material and comprises a pattern of electrical conductors,which pattern includes contact pads for external contacting, that areexposed at a surface, which conductors are mechanically anchored in thebody, a plurality of electric elements being encapsulated in the bodyand being electrically connected to the pattern of electricalconductors.

According to the invention, the electric elements and the pattern ofconductors are embedded in the body. The body therewith does not onlyprovide a structural shape of the product and/or to provide anesthetically desired appearance and/or a mechanical support for theproduct. The body is in fact also the encapsulation for the electricelements and functions as the circuit board for the attachment ofelectric contacts for external contacting.

It is an advantage of the body of the invention that its manufacture canbe very straightforward and is hardly in need of assembly. Generally,the process flow of the manufacture includes a first step in which afoil is provided with a releasable layer and thereon the pattern ofconductors. In a second step this foil is provided at a desired locationin a mould and is overmoulded by the electrically insulating material inthe desired shape. In a third step the releasable layer is removed fromthe body of electrically insulating material. The mechanical anchoringof the conductors is for instance achieved in that the releasable layeris slightly etched before provision of the molding material, such as tocreate underetch. A suitable combination of materials is the use ofcopper for the pattern of conductors and the use of Al for thereleasable layer. This has the advantage that both the patterning of thecopper conductors and the removal of the releasable layer can berealized with wet-chemical etching without deteriorating the otherlayers.

In principle, the complete pattern of conductors will be present at thesurface of the body. Some additional steps may be taken however, thatlead to the encapsulation of the conductors inside the body. First ofall, a foil or spring assembly or alternative electrical connectors maybe connected to the contact pads before the molding and be partlyovermoulded together with the formation of the body. This provides avery robust integration of such a connector in the body. An alternativeconnector is for instance a connector to which a battery can beconnected. Secondly, the pattern of conductors may be overmoulded in aseparate step after the provision of the body. Thirdly, and particularlyin combination with the use of the underetch for the anchoring, thepattern may include conductors with a relatively small and with arelatively large width. By a suitable choice of the underetch time, thesmall conductors can be included completely in the body, whereas thelarge ones will at least partially be present at the surface of thebody. In a fourth elaboration, the releasable foil is substantiallyremoved in a first area before the molding process, without removing thepattern of conductors in that area. The conductors in the first area canthereafter be provided with an encapsulation from all sides.

The electrically insulating material is preferably a polymer material,that is suitable for use in combination with molding techniques,particularly insert molding and has a good chemical and mechanicalstability. Examples include polystyrene, polypropene, polyvinylchloride,polyphenylene sulfide.

It is particularly preferred that an additional coating is provided atthe foil so as to improve the adhesion between any metal and the insertmoulded polymer. A first example is the use of a material that melts onheating. Elements to be attached with solder balls to the pattern ofconductors can first be provided on this material, that is heatedthereafter. This process is further described in the non-prepublishedapplication WO-IB03/02292 (PHNL020471). A second example is theprovision of a coating after that the elements have been assembled onthe pattern of conductors. The coating can then be provided not only atthe interface of the conductors and the insert moulded material, butalso at the interface of the elements and the insert moulded material. Asuitable class of materials to be used for the coatings are copolymers.Particularly suitable appear to be vinyl copolymers of acrylic acid andalkyl acrylates.

It is furthermore preferred for good encapsulating properties of themolding material that it comprises fillers for absorption of moisture.Particularly suitable for this aim are silica or other metal oxides suchas aluminum oxide and magnesium oxide. These fillers may be porousmatrices.

The use of a foil of a releasable layer and a pattern of conductorsthereon is per se known from EP-A 1,187,205. However, said applicationdiscloses the use thereof for chip scale packaging of integratedcircuits. These are electronic components with typical dimensions in theorder of 3*3 mm² or less, and the shape of the body herein follows theshape of the encapsulated electronic component. The insulating materialis therein provided with transfer molding. In the present invention,however, the shape of the body is not based on that of the embeddedcomponents, but on that of the product of which the body is a part. Ingeneral, the dimensions of the body will thus be larger than that of anintegrated circuit, and it will not have the shape of a rectangularblock, such as an integrated circuit. Suitable dimensions are forinstance at least 0.5 to 0.5 cm², and often more than 3 to 3 cm², and inone or more directions even 10 cm or even 1 m. To be sure, it is notnecessary that the foil will have dimensions comparable to those of thebody.

The use of such a foil is further known from GB-A 2,229,864 as well asfrom U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,797. However, the known methods relate to themanufacture of a circuit board. It is not disclosed therein, that thecircuit board can be used as encapsulation for electric components. Itis not disclosed either, that the circuit board has a sufficientmechanical stability to act as the structural element in a product.

In a preferred embodiment, means are present for mechanical attachmentof a device, component or carrier to the body. As the skilled personwill understand, there is a variety of means that can be provided aspart of the mould. This includes cavities and throughholes in the firstplace. It also includes any clamping means, threads for engagement witha thread of an external component and any edges, protrusions and cornersas desired. The advantage hereof is that the electronic product can be atruly integrated system, wherein some elements are present at thesurface of the body and others are integrated into the body. An examplehereof is for instance a display, wherein the display is present at thesurface, but wherein the display driver is hidden inside the body.Another example is for instance a radio: the loudspeaker is present atthe surface, and the electronics are hidden inside the body. Suchelectronics do not only include passive components such as resistors,capacitors and inductors and protective components such as diodes, butalso signal processing units. However, such signal processing unit couldbe integrated also with one of the elements at the surface, as is thecase with an image sensor. Furthermore, with a small radio, it is anadvantage that any electronics or user functionality needed in addition,such as a display or buttons can be part of the same product. Eitherthey are integrated in the body, or they are present at the surface thathas a shape fitted for mechanical attachment. It is even possible thatsuch electronics or functionality is partly overmoulded and thusanchored in the body.

Particularly in this embodiment, the body acts as system integrator ofvarious elements and components. It provides mechanical stability andshape. This is done not only in that the product has at least partly theshape of the body, but also in that any components attached to the bodyare given their position. Moreover, due to the versatile possibilitiesof the molding process, not only the position, but also the angle withrespect to the surface of the body can be determined. This isparticularly relevant for the optimal operation of microphones, cameras,displays and the like.

In a further embodiment, the electronic device comprises a sensing ortransmitting first element provided at the surface of the body forradiation of a first kind and an auxiliary second element for processingor providing of the radiation, the first and second element having apredetermined spatial interrelationship to each other to allow theirfunctioning, which is defined in the body, the first element beingelectrically connected to the pattern of electrical conductors in thebody. The number of electronic devices being constructed from a firstand a second element that need to be in a mutual interrelationship islarge. A good example is a camera with a lens and a image sensor. Inthis case the body acts also defines the locations of the individualelements and therewith achieves the system integration, that previouslyneeded to be dealt with separately.

A variety of electronic products is enabled with the invention.Electronic components could be introduced in the arms of a chair. Also,the electronics needed for switching and for power conversion in acoffee machines or a water boiler could be integrated in that partconstituting a leg of the machine. In the example of a mobile phone or aremote control, the body may be a product part with a display and towhich any buttons and any further RF electronics are attachedafterwards. The product part can finally be provided with a separatehousing. In the example of a dashboard the body of the dashboard will bethe main structural part, as it currently is. The body is of course notonly suitable for a dashboard at the front side of a vehicle, but canalso be used at the doors and back side.

The invention also relates to a body for use in the product. Circuitboards included in a plastic part of a certain shape are for instanceknown from GB-A 2,229,864. In this embodiment the pattern of conductorsis bent so as to provide any required shape. However, the known circuitboard does not include any electric elements, and it appearsdisadvantageous to do a bending operation either before or after theplacement of elements on a foil. Nevertheless, a full flexibility of therequired three-dimensional shape of the body is desired, such that thebody can function as the system integrator giving mechanical support. Itis therefore a second object of the invention to provide a body thatfulfills these objects.

This second object is achieved in a body suitable for use as a productpart in a desired product and provided with a threedimensional shapethat is derived from the product and incorporates structurally at leastpart of the product shape, which body comprises an electricallyinsulating material and comprises a pattern of electrical conductors,which pattern includes contact pads for external contacting whichconductors are mechanically anchored in the body, a plurality ofelectric elements being encapsulated in the body and being electricallyconnected to the pattern of electrical conductors, wherein theconductors are present at a surface only partially.

In the invention, the conductors are present at the surface of the bodyonly at certain areas, whereas in other areas they are hidden inside thebody. There are particularly two methods for achieving thisfunctionality. First of all, the pattern of conductors may beovermoulded in a separate step after the provision of the body. This isa simple and straightforward implementation, however, with thelimitation that the products need to be brought back into a mold afterremoval of the releasable layer, and with the limitation that themolding of the additional features may not affect the shape of thealready moulded body negatively.

In a second, preferred method, the releasable foil is substantiallyremoved in a first area before the molding process, without removing thepattern of conductors in that area. The conductors in the first area canthereafter be provided with an encapsulation from all sides.

Although not preferred in assembly, it nevertheless may be that thesurface of the body includes a first and a second face which mutuallyincludes an angle unequal to 180° C. and wherein the pattern ofconductors extends along the first and the second face. This isparticularly suitable if the pattern of conductors comprises a pluralityof tracks are positioned in parallel and need to be fitted to thedesired shape. It is furthermore suitable, if electric components needto be attached and contacted at different faces, particularly at opposedfaces.

In another embodiment, the pattern of conductors includes contact padsfor contacting a component that can be assembled to the surface of thebody, and the shape of the body is fitted for assembly of the activedevice. For many applications, it is advantageous that any furtheractive devices can be assembled to the surface of the body. Examples ofsuch active devices are integrated circuits and other such semiconductordevices, which may be too expensive for integration in the body; displaydevices, speakers, microphones and lenss that need to be provided at thesurface of the body in order to fulfill their functions; and otherdevices for which integration is not preferred.

In a further elaboration hereof, the surface of the body is providedwith a cavity in which the active device fits. In this manner the activedevice is given a mechanical protection.

The invention further relates to a method of manufacturing a bodysuitable for use as a product part in a desired product and providedwith a threedimensional shape that is derived from the product andincorporates structurally at least part of the product shape.

It is a third object of the invention to provide such a method with animproved freedom of design of the product shape. This object is achievedin that it comprises the steps of:

providing a foil having a releasable layer and a pattern of conductortracks, the pattern comprising an first area that is to be hidden in thebody;

removing the releasable layer from the first area to the extent that anyconductor tracks;

attaching electrical elements to the conductor tracks;

providing the body of electrically insulating material by a moldingtechnique, therewith encapsulating the electrical elements andmechanically anchoring the conductor tracks in the body; and

removing the releasable layer to the extent that it is present at asurface of the body.

In this method, integration is achieved by suitably patterning thereleasable layer before provision of the mould. This leads to anefficient method with a good result.

The removal of the releasable layer before the insertion into the moldis preferably done by cutting. This results therein that the releasablelayer is also integrated in the body. That is not problematic if thereleasable layer is not too thick. Furthermore, it has the advantagethat the first area is provided with some mechanical stability after thecutting. Alternatively, other methods such as localized dry of wetetching or irradiation with ultraviolet light could be used. The type ofremoval is also dependent on the specific foil in use. The releasablelayer can in principle be a layer of a metal, such as Al, Cu, or steel,organic material, and a ceramic material such as glass or silicium. Theresolution of the patterning is preferably in the range of millimetersto centimeters. However, with an automation of the local patterninghigher resolution can be achieved.

The method has its main benefit if also electric elements are integratedin the body, but is in principle also applicable for a body without anyembedded electric elements.

Another aspect of the invention resides in an electrically insulatingbody that comprises a flexible portion. Such a flexible portion may beused for a specific connection to a component, so as to adapt the bodyto the desired shape or to act as a contacting portion. Such is flexibleportion is achievable in that the insulating material is provided inmore than one step, in each of which steps desired insulating materialsare used, such that a first portion is provided with an elasticinsulating material and a second portion is provided with a hard,non-elastic insulating material.

Examples of non-elastic materials are thermoharders, epoxides, standardinjection molding materials such as polyphenylenesulfide, polystyrene,nylons, polyester PET, PBT and PCT, polyetherimide, polyethersulphone,polyarylsulphone, polysulphone, polyetherketone, polyetheretherketone.The materials may be strengthened with glass fibers or desired particlesas known to the skilled person. Particularly they are provided with anycross-linking agent which rigidifies the a structure and is initiated byheating. Examples of elastic materials are thermoplastic materialswithout or substantially without any such cross-linking agent.Particularly suitable are polyimide and benzocyclobutene. Any otherelastic and non-elastic materials will be apparent to the skilledperson.

As compared to the body known from GB-A 2,229,864 it is a clearadvantage that the resulting body is fitted for many more shapes. Thisis particularly suitable for integration of the body is a casing withlimited space. It is also advantageous with bodies of larger dimensions,particularly if the body has a threedimensional shape derived from theproduct in which it is used. The edges of the body may be made flexible,therewith reducing any damage to the body when inserted in a casing. Anintermediate portion between a first and a second rigid portion may beflexible, so as to allow bending of the rigid portion with respect toeach other. Alternatively, a mainly flexible body may be provided withrigid portions, at which it can be mechanically and electricallycontacted.

In a suitable embodiment, the flexible portion is provided withconductors according to a desired pattern. The flexible portion has thesame function as a flexfoil, but need not to be assembled to it.Therewith, a problem of electrical contacting is reduced substantially.

The body according to this aspect of the invention, is preferablyprovided with conductors that are present at a surface of the body atleast partially. As explained above, the conductors may be hidden in theinside of the body in various ways. It is furthermore preferred that theconductors are mechanically anchored, so as to provide a good adhesionbetween conductors and the body. It may well be that the pattern ofconductors extends over a first and a second face of the body, or evenextends to a third face opposed to the first face.

In many applications it will further be preferred that any electricalelements are embedded in the body. Examples of elements include diodes,resistors, capacitors, inductors, transformers, integrated circuits.Therewith the body, having a three dimensional shape and including thedesired elements is really a system of its own, that does not need anywireless transmission of energy and data, but can make use ofconventional galvanic coupling.

The electronic device can be used for many applications. Applications inthe field of mobile communication, consumer electronics and automotiveelectronics are particularly preferred in view of the miniaturizationand increase of functionality in those areas. Any components attachableto the body are particularly components that provide a user interface,and components that are too vulnerable or expensive or else to beintegrated. The body can be provided with any cavities, holes and othermechanical attachment means for adequate location and attachment ofthese components. For their electric contacting, they will be connectedto the pattern of conductors. Signal processing units may be hidden inthe body. The body can also define the system if two or more componentsneed a spatial interrelationship for their proper functioning, such as alens and an image sensor in the example of a camera.

If the flexible portion is used for contacting, it can be very helpful aconnector is present at one end of the flexible portion or at a rigidportion connected to that end. It is the advantage of the body of thisinvention that any suitable connector can be integrated in the body byovermolding.

With respect to the manufacturing of this body having a flexibleportion, it is observed that the exact implementation of such process isopen to engineering optimization by the skilled person. The expression‘first mold’ and ‘second mold’ is understood in the context of thisapplication to include both the implementation with separate moldingsand the implementation with one mold having two or more chambers. Forboth processes it appears suitable to use an insertion molding process.As mentioned above, any additional coatings can be used to improve theadhesion between metal and the insertion moulded material. Thereleasable layer is chosen to desire. Good results have been obtainedwith a foil with copper patterns and a releasable layer of aluminum.Alternatively, the patterns can be of Al, and the releasable layer is ofcopper. Copper could be used as well for both the releasable layer andthe pattern of conductors, with a suitable barrier in between of both.However, silicon and an organic, UV-releasable material could be used asreleasable layers as well.

These and other aspects of the invention will be further explained withreference to the figures, in which identical components have been giventhe same reference numerals and in which:

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the body in a diagrammaticperspective view;

FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of the device comprising the body shownin FIG. 1 in a diagrammatic perspective view;

FIG. 3 shows a first embodiment of the body in a diagrammaticperspective view; and

FIG. 4 shows a first embodiment of the device comprising the body shownin FIG. 3 in a diagrammatic perspective view.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the electrically insulating body 2according to the invention. FIG. 2 shows the corresponding electronicdevice 10. The body is manufactured in the following manner. First acarrier plate is provided, which comprises a first releasable layer,here with a thickness of 30 μm and made of Al, on which a second,electrically conductive layer is present. The second layer is in thiscase made of copper and has a thickness of 10 μm. This second layer ispatterned into conductors through a mask of silicon oxide by etchingwith an aqueous solution of ferrichloride. This solution leads also tosome etching of the Al, leading to underetch under the conductors.

Hereafter, in this embodiment, the carrier plate is bent in the desiredshape and provided in the mold. Electric elements, such as resistors,capacitors and diodes, and optionally also integrated circuits can nowbe provided on the conductors. Solder is used to provide an electricalconnection between the conductors and the electric elements, butanisotropically conducting adhesive can be used alternatively. Then, anysuitable synthetic resin, for instance PPS (=PolyPhenylene Sulphide) isinjected in the mold and the body 2 is formed by injection molding.Finally, the releasable layer of the carrier plate is removed.

The body 2 of this example is made to be suitable for a variety ofactive devices that are to be assembled at the surface of the body. Thisprocedure yields not only openings 20, but also a cavity 60 with a side61 and a bottom 62, the conductor pattern extending up to the bottom 62.The cavity 60 is suitable for accommodating elements such as aloudspeaker 63 and a buzzer 64, as shown in FIG. 2. The openings 20 aresuitable for the formation of cameras, that are constructed through theassembly of a lens 40 and a photosensitive semiconductor element 30. Thetwo cameras are positioned in opposite directions, for which reason theconductor pattern extends from the first side 2A via the second side 2Bto the third side 2C.

The shape of the body 2 is not derived from the size of the components,but from the product in which it has to be used. This body is made tofit in the upper part of a mobile phone, in the area above the display.Although not shown in this embodiment, it can be provided with clampingmeans to be attached more easily to the housing of the mobile phone.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the body 2 of the invention. FIG. 4shows the corresponding device 10. The body in this example is thecarrier for a large number of desired electronic elements of a mobilephone. These are in particular the elements which provide the interfaceto the user. The shape of the body 2 is chosen such that it forms thebasic carrier plate of any components in the mobile phone. To this body2 not only the desired electronic elements can be attached, but also anyRF part of the mobile phone can be attached.

At the rear side 2C (not shown) of the body 2, conductors 1 provideinterconnections between the elements, and connection regions arepresent for the placement of elements which implement the requiredcontrol functions. It is also possible for a contacting region for aflexible foil or a connector to be defined at that side. Connections arepresent for a semiconductor element 30 of a camera, a loudspeaker 63, abuzzer 64, a display 65, keys 66, a touchscreen 67, lamps 68 (preferablylight-emitting diodes) and a microphone 69. The areas for these elementsare indicated in FIG. 9 by their reference numerals followed by A (forexample 30A). It is noted that the body has the advantage that a directconnection between (the semiconductor elements 30 of) the cameras andthe picture screen 65 and the keys 66 and/or the touchscreen 67 is alsopossible without connections having to be realized by means ofconnectors or flexible foils. The number of connections may thus beadvantageously reduced, and the camera 41 and the picture screen 65 canbe mutually attuned in the assembly.

It is further noted that the conductors 1 in this embodiment lie in arecess at a side, whereby possible damage is prevented. Such damage,however, is improbable anyway when such a manufacturing method is used(with the underetched copper conductors) that leads to a recessedposition of the conductor pattern.

The conductor pattern providing the drive of the touchscreen 67comprises a flexible portion in this embodiment. This is formed in thata portion of the carrier plate is provided with an elastic syntheticresin such as polyimide instead of PPS. Connectors and flexibleconnections between two portions of the body 2 can also be integrated inthis manner.

It is further noted that although not explicitly shown, the body is verysuitable for integration of electric elements that are needed for aproper operation. Examples hereof are capacitors, resistors,transformers, diodes for ESD protection, transistors and other switches,and possibly also integrated circuits such as a display driver.

It is also noted that the threedimensional shape of the shown conductorpattern is not absolutely necessary. A simpler version which extends inonly two dimensions can be made as well. Moreover, part of theconductors can be provided inside the body in a simple way, in that thecarrier plate is substantially cut away at those areas in which theconductors need to be embedded in the body. The cutting is done suchthat the conductors are separated from each other. The resultingconductors will be embedded in the body including the releasable layer.The resulting body can thus have the shape to accommodate the activedevices as good as possible and to be suitable for integration in andattachment to the housing of the apparatus, in this case a mobile phone.

1. An electronic product comprising a body provided with athree-dimensional shape that is derived from the product andincorporates structurally at least part of the product shape, which bodycomprises an electrically insulating material and comprises a pattern ofelectrical conductors, which pattern includes contact pads for externalcontacting which conductors are mechanically anchored in the body, aplurality of electric elements being encapsulated in the body and beingelectrically connected to the pattern of electrical conductors.
 2. Anelectronic product as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that meansare present for mechanical attachment of a component or carrier to thebody.
 3. A body as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pattern of conductorsincludes contact pads for contacting a component that can be assembledto the surface of the body, and wherein the shape of the body is fittedfor assembly of the component.
 4. An electronic product as claimed inclaim 1, characterized in that a sensing or transmitting first elementis provided at the surface of the body for radiation of a first kind andan auxiliary second element for processing or providing of theradiation, the first and second element having a predetermined spatialinterrelationship to each other to allow their functioning, which isdefined in the body, the first element being electrically connected tothe pattern of electrical conductors in the body.
 5. An electronicproduct as as claimed in claim 1, wherein further a separate signalprocessing unit is provided in or at the surface of the body.
 6. A bodysuitable for use as a product part in a desired product and providedwith a three-dimensional shape that is derived from the product andincorporates structurally at least part of the product shape, which bodycomprises an electrically insulating material and comprises a pattern ofelectrical conductors, which pattern includes contact pads for externalcontacting which conductors are mechanically anchored in the body, aplurality of electric elements being encapsulated in the body and beingelectrically connected to the pattern of electrical conductors, whereinthe conductors are present at a surface only partially.
 7. A body asclaimed in claim 6, wherein the contact pads for external contacting areexposed at a surface of the body.
 8. A body as claimed in claim 6,wherein means are present for mechanical attachment of a device,component or carrier to the body.
 9. A method of manufacturing a bodysuitable for use as a product part in a desired product and providedwith a three-dimensional shape that is derived from the product andincorporates structurally at least part of the product shape, comprisingthe steps of: providing a foil having a releasable layer and a patternof conductor tracks, the pattern comprising an first area that is to behidden in the body; removing the releasable layer from the first area tothe extent that any conductor tracks; attaching electrical elements tothe conductor tracks; providing the body of electrically insulatingmaterial by a molding technique, therewith encapsulating the electricalelements and mechanically anchoring the conductor tracks in the body;and removing the releasable layer to the extent that it is present at asurface of the body.
 10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein thereleasable layer is removed from the first area by cutting thereleasable layer in a pattern which is substantially corresponding tothe pattern of the conductor tracks in the first area.
 11. Anelectrically insulating body provided with a conductor pattern, whichbody acts as a carrier of the conductor pattern and as a carrier ofelements embedded in the body and/or components assembled to the body,which body includes a rigid portion and a flexible portion, in whichrigid portion the body comprises a non-elastic electrically insulatingmaterial and in which flexible portion the body comprises an elastic,electrically insulating material.
 12. An electrically insulating body asclaimed in claim 11, wherein the flexible portion comprises conductorsaccording to a desired pattern.
 13. An electrically insulating body asclaimed in claim 11, wherein the flexible portion is provided between afirst and a second rigid portion.
 14. An electrically insulating body asclaimed in claim 11, wherein the pattern of conductors is at leastpartially present at a surface of the body.
 15. An electronic devicecomprising the electrically insulating body as claimed in claim 11, andan electric element that is assembled to the body or embedded in thebody.
 16. A method of manufacturing an electrically insulating bodyprovided with a pattern of conductors, the body having a flexibleportion and a rigid portion, comprising the steps of: providing a foilhaving a releasable layer and a pattern of conductor tracks; placing thefoil in a first mould such that the pattern of conductors faces awayfrom a surface of the mould, and providing a first electricallyinsulating material in the mould, the first material becoming rigidafter finalization of the molding operation, therewith generating therigid portion of the body placing the thus partially molded foil in asecond mould and providing a second electrically insulating material inthe mould, the second material being elastic after finalization of themolding operation, therewith generating the flexible portion of thebody, and removing the releasable layer to the extent that it is presentat a surface of the body.